Home Before Dark
by XSnow LeopardX
Summary: AU DarkxRiku...probably. A twist of events leaves Dark Mousy needing someone's help, and Riku gets stuck with the responsibility. How does one help a phantom? What happens when he realizes he's gotten far more then he bargained for-what happens if it's too much? -Revamped and in progress!-


**Author's Note: **Well, here we go! The first chapter to a … several-chapter-long fan fiction. Some information: This IS an AU, as stated—it takes place during high school, because relationships between 14-year-olds are just no fun (sorry for you 14-year-olds out there…). XD Daisuke has been transforming into Dark since he was fourteen, just as a side note, and Dark's been stealing things, just like usual, and Satoshi's been trying to stop him, just like usual. So it's not much different… just the ages, and some of the situations in the manga between Dark and the twins hasn't happened. 

So anyhow. This is a Darkxriku, one of the few in a sea of… uh, other stuff. I hope it to be one of the better ones, because there are tons with bad writing, or character butchering (usually Dark's). If you are a Darkxriku fan, check out 'Scatter Plot' or 'Sakura-Angel2'—both of their stuff is awesome, and you'll get your Dark-Riku fix. ;P **Edit:** Komiko too! Forgot that one.

Enough of me ranting—here you go!

**Another Edit: **For some reason, fanfiction hates me and refuses to accept any of my formatting _so_… much apologies to the people who had to read through the crappy crap spilled out for me. Anywho:

_--_words?-- :Daisuke

--_words?--_ :Dark (P.S. If anyone has a better way to tell these two apart, let me know--I tried everything, and formating took it all out. >.>)

**Last Edit! I promise:** Thanks to Scatter Plot for the tips! Took out a few things here and there, and changed some words around... Shouldn't be too different.

**Chapter One**

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"_Sometimes the person you love just doesn't understand how much _you_ love _them_."_

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"Long day." A sigh accompanied those self-spoken words as well as the soft patters of sneakers on pavement. A petite form shrugged a hunter green backpack farther up onto her shoulder as she continued down the sidewalk, glancing up to the streetlights that had flickered on only a few minutes before. She had told her mother that she would be home before dark… well, there went that idea. Picking up the pace in her walk, she hoped she wouldn't be _too _late 

Riku Harada, age 17, attended Azumano High school. She was the (slightly) older twin of Risa Harada, and though she looked like her sister, the resemblances stopped there. Where in her sister was popular, naïve, and boy crazy, Riku was somewhat stubborn, smart, and athletic. Riku often times went out of her way to make sure people could tell herself and her sister apart—take, for instance, the fact that she always kept her hair short. So it was easier to manage for sports-that was only a bonus.

Speaking of sports, it was part of the reason why she was coming home so late. Having a P.E. Committee meeting at the end of the school day, it had taken them an unusually long time to store away all of the fall sport equipment (possibly because Takeshi wasn't there…?). When they were done, the group decided to go down to the local ice cream parlor and grab a snack and chat; Riku had obliged happily. When she had realized how late it was, however, she made a hasty goodbye and scooted out of there-her mother would be furious if she was late! Thing being, it looked as though she already was.

Biting her lip as she looked to the dark sky, Riku looked a bit worried. "I'm going to be so _late_," she murmured as she tugged her jacket closer to her, the cool winds trying to rob her of it. She was seventeen, but the street was no place for a girl at night unaccompanied.

The brunette was far from being alone, only she didn't realize that a pair of eyes were watching her every move; that someone was very aware of the fact that she was the only one on this mostly-unused street.

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"See, Dai-kun?" a voice asked, the tone far more teasing then affectionate. "I told you we'd be fine." The speaker was a violet-haired young man, who at the moment, was soaring through the air. And not in a plane or a parasail—but with jet black _wings_. A cocky smirk was spread across his features, one that was well known on his face. His tall, lissome form was one that danced in the heads of the female population of this city—except for one's. In his hands he held an obsidian sack with something rectangular inside of it-the painting known as 'Seraph's Light'. The Phantom Thief had just succeeded in stealing yet another piece of artwork, which was his life's goal as it seemed.

_--_Fine? _Fine_! We could have been seriouslyhurt that time!-- a voice scolded inside of him. --Dark, is a painting that important?-- Daisuke was his other half—or maybe _he_ was Daisuke's other half? Whichever way you looked at it, the little redhead could be so _paranoid_ at times.

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words, Daisuke," the man answered with a snicker, and Daisuke only groaned in response. "Isn't that right, With?" Dark asked his winged companion.

"Kyun!"

Daisuke grumbled something about the two of them being unfair, and Dark just laughed.

Letting the wind ruffle through his hair and tug at the strands, Dark's garnet eyes glanced down to the city below, a lazy look covering them. It wasn't the lazy 'I'm tired' sort of look, it was more of the lazy look a tiger had while he watched his prey. What to do tonight? As long as there were no pictures of Riku popping up, he was free to do whatever he wished. It wasn't like Daisuke could stop him.

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_Almost there_! Riku thought to herself, slightly relieved. Maybe her mother wouldn't ground her _too_ much. She allowed a small grin to spread across her lips—she wouldn't lie and say that walking down the street alone wasn't scary.

"Hey missy. Goin' som'where?"

The voice stopped Riku in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat. Whirling around to see who had spoken, she hoped it was someone she knew.

It wasn't.

Her eyes landed on a slovenly-clothed man, his face not much better then his attire. Rough stubble covered his lower face, and dirty brown hair was tangled atop his head. With his hands hanging loosely in the pockets of his rundown jeans, he watched Riku with a wolfish look.

Riku wasn't sure what was better-to answer, or to ignore him. To avoid aggravating his anger, Riku decided the former. "H-home…"

The man laughed at her answer, and she wasn't sure she liked that. Unconsciously she took several steps back, scanning the area to see if she could escape him, or if there was someone she could go to for help.

Nothing.

"What do you want?" Riku asked, forcing herself to lift her chin with a stubborn tilt. She could take care of herself, couldn't she? There was no need to be afraid of him. Maybe he was just… uh, lost.

The man didn't answer her; he only grinned wider and Riku was repulsed to see that some of his teeth were missing. This man was _disgusting_. She continued to back up as he stepped towards her, her eyes wildly darting out. Was anyone else out here? Couldn't anyone help?

"What, do you want my backpack?" she asked. "I have money in there." Pulling it off of her shoulder, she tossed it to the side—that way, when he went for it, she could run for it.

The man didn't even send a glance to it.

It then became clear to Riku that he didn't want her money or her things—he wanted _her_.

That was enough to get Riku's shaky legs moving as she darted off down whatever street she could find—she was on the track team, right? She could outrun him--she was going to have to.That was what she told herself, at least.

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"Dai-kun, I'm thinking of turning in early tonight," Dark murmured, eyes watching the city streets in mild curiosity.

_--_What? Why?-- Turning in early? …Dark didn't do that if he had a choice in the matter.

"It's cold," the thief grumbled. Too cold to be flying around out here. And windy—did he mention the wind? "Besides-" Dark paused, eyes narrowing as they focused on something down below. Now hovering in the air (with With's help, of course), he brushed strands of hair of out his eyes to clear his vision. "What's going on?" he asked no one in particular.

Daisuke too honed his attention to what Dark was looking at. --That girl… she's being mugged, Dark.--

"Mugged?" He repeated, dropping lower in the sky to get a better look. "No…" he murmured, eyes narrowing just a bit more. Daisuke was naïve, Daisuke was innocent. She wasn't being mugged—that man was trying to rape her. Looking over his shoulder, Dark had already made his decision. "With?"

"Kyuun."

Dropping to the street, black wings flared out to kill his speed as booted feet landed on the ground with hardly a sound. Striding towards the alley they were in (With's wingspan was too large to land in such a place), he didn't know his hands were fists.

_--_Dark? What are you doing?--

--_What does it look like I'm doing?--_

"Stop! I _said_, don't touch me!"

"Quiet down, would'ya?"

"Asshole!"

A grunt of pain followed the sound, and Dark tilted his head, rounding the corner to see what only his ears could hear.

Pinned against the wall was a young woman; though scared, the look on her face was still a defiant one. The man holding her there had one hand on her arm, the other on his shin—somewhere in the seriousness of the situation, Dark found it amusing that she had kicked him.

Dark placed the bag with the painting down and stepped up behind the man, tapping him on the shoulder, his face all inquisitiveness and innocence. "'Scuse me, sir?"

The man, surprised, dropped the girl's arm and turned. As far as he had been concerned, no one had been out here. "Wha'?"

Dark greeted the man's face with not words, but with his fist. With a cry of pain the thug staggered backwards, the hand that had been aiding his shin now going for his face. Dark, now standing there with a look that was anything but 'innocent', crossed his arms in front of his chest, wings splaying out as much as the tight alley would allow behind him. The idea behind it was the same as the reason why a cat's hair rose on its back, or why a bird ruffled its feathers when it was threatened—to look intimidating. "I think you should leave the girl alone."

"What'cha do that for?" the man demanded, holding his jaw tenderly with the hand. As soon as he saw the wings, however, his muddy brown eyes widened. "What the _hell_…?"

Lifting one hand, Dark made an aloof 'shooing' motion. "Get out of here, before it's more then your face that I ruin." Though he almost had a mischievous look to himself, his words could not be mistaken as joking. The man wisely took the hint, scurrying off as fast as his bruised shin would let him. --Dark...--

--_He's okay, and the girl is too. Don't worry about it, Dai-kun.-- _This time, the words spoken to the young Niwa were almost calming—Dark would take care of it. Dark would handle it—he always did.

Turning to the girl the man had been attacking, Dark paused to take in her condition. Her arms were clasped across her chest, eyes staring at the ground, realizing just how close she had come to losing something she could have never gotten back. She was breathing heavily, and her face seemed a little paler then usual, for her. Looking up, brown eyes met crimson ones. "Ah… Thank y—" She paused, her eyes widening.

Dark's eyes matched the shape of her own wide ones, when he realized just who it was. _Riku_!

"You _ass_! You're that peeping tom who's been following me!"

Dark blanched, taking several steps back from the young woman who had suddenly found someone to take out her rage on.

Him.

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**Author's Note: Ta-da!**

**There's the first chapter. Please, review! It makes me feel loved. XD Actually, it'll make chapters magically produce themselves. Or something like that.**

**Let me know what you liked! (And hey, even what you didn't like—makes me better!)**

**-Snow Leopard**


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